One of Bernhard Goetz's targets kills self on anniversary of subway shoot

[MikeG]

Not sure how many here are old enough to remember this. Journalists give themselves away by using the term "victims" to describe the four people Goetz shot. Goetz was acquitted of attempted murder and only found guilty of "illegally possessing a loaded firearm." Hard to label them "victims" after an acquital.

James Ramseur, one of men shot by "Subway Vigilante" Bernhard Goetz kills self on 27th anniversary of shooting - NYPOST.com

Goetz shot four people trying to rob him, 5 hits from his revolver. The 'utes said they her just panhandling, not robbing. This one just committed suicide. What was interesting is the history of the four "panhandlers" after the shooting.

James Ramseur - shot in arm. Killed himself yesterday. Got out of prison only 17 months ago, after serving 25 years upstate for raping a young woman on a Bronx rooftop.
Darrell Cabey - Paralyzed with brain damage. No further criminal behavior known.
Barry Allen - convicted of robbery in 1991 and released from prison four years later
Troy Canty - racked up a string of petty offenses and served 18 months in a residential drug- treatment program.

Other than Ramseur who spent the last 25 years in prison, I suspect the press lost track of the panhandlers when it became clear that at 18, they were felons-in-training and not just misunderstood and disaffected young men. I'd bet their criminal history is even more extensive than that listed.

Goetz probably more than anyone else spurred political change about CCW everywhere except new york. In new york, that incident is probably what helped clean up the city more than any other.

[ET109]

I'm sure they were just turning their lives around when they got shot, and the trauma turned them to lives of crime.

[mcsap]

Apparently , traumatic brain damage stops criminal behavior.

[BadKitty]

I'm sure they were just turning their lives around when they got shot, and the trauma turned them to lives of crime.

*snorts* I'm a native New Yorker, and I remember the Post headline screaming, "VIGILANTE!" Good for Bernard Goetz. The OP is right, it changed the city. NY used to be a scary place, and the subway even more so. I remember thinking about Darrell Cabey, "Good. The little rat b-stard won't be mugging anybody else." I also remember Troy Canty's dead, flat eyes in his picture. We had several spirited discussions at our dinner table as this unfolded. My father had a concealed carry permit, and never went anywhere unarmed. But he never took the subway, either.

So none of these turkeys ever became a productive member of society. Gee.

[Darin]

Apparently , traumatic brain damage stops criminal behavior.

Bwahahahahahaha!!!!

[MikeG]

Apparently , traumatic brain damage stops criminal behavior.

It stopped mine.